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C-603 Tip-up Canopy side skirt

Av8torTom

Well Known Member
Hello again folks,

I'm fitting the tip-up canopy to my fuselage. The directions suggest that the C-603 side skirt overlaps the lower fuselage like such:



But the plans show it flush with the bottom of the frame like this:



Which one is it?

Tom
 
Offset

Tom,

I'm re-doing my canopy too; I think it's the hardest part of the build.

Anyway, I had the same trouble with DWG 48/49 but Bruce has some awesome build photos (and workmanship) that I've used to supplement the build manual.

Check out his website http://www.overthehills.com/RV-9A-Project/Finish-Kit/Canopy/i-nbqSP2x/A

Looks to me like they are flush; I've heard of some folks fabricating their own fiberglass side skirts that extend down the side to keep air out

Good luck
 
The skirts on my tip up don't overlap the side skins. I put some bulb seal from McMaster-Carr (part #120A111) on the tip up frame and that sets the height of the frame on the side rails (and keeps it sealed up from any wind entry).

IMG_2602-M.jpg


It squishes down to 1/8", which is the correct space between frame and side rails.

Here is a shot of the end of the frame with the seal installed and how the side skirt covers it.
IMG_2700-M.jpg



After I got all of that set up and drilled, with the canopy on the frame there is a bit of bulging along the middle of the skirt. Not much, but it isn't perfectly flush along the entire side. The tip up canopy is a big pain to build, but I do love the great view!
 
Tom,

The section views on Drawings 48 or 49 show that the skirts don't overlap the fuselage, but you could probably do it however you want as long as you have the material to ensure a good edge margin on the canopy attach screws.

Now that my canopy is drilled to the tip-up frame, I'm having the same problem that Bruce had...

After I got all of that set up and drilled, with the canopy on the frame there is a bit of bulging along the middle of the skirt. Not much, but it isn't perfectly flush along the entire side.

...but I think a little judicious use of my edge-rolling tool on the skirt lower edge will make it look ok.

HTH

Dave
 
Options

Things evolve...:)

The present Vans RV-6 instructions call for a flush fitting at the canopy/longeron location.

The earlier type written instructions gave options -

canopy-overlap_zpsxnagukeq.jpg


I think the flush approach may be easier and perhaps less likely to tweak the edges if the canopy does not close in a straight manner. This may be the reason for the change.

Some slight shimming under either of the two horizontal rivet lines holding on C-603 can make minor adjustments to get a flush vertical fit at the longeron.
 
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